Atong sues accuser: We are not criminals

Businessman claims P300 million extortion try by ex-staff

MANILA, Philippines — Stressing he has nothing to do with the disappearance and murder of over 100 cockfight enthusiasts, gaming tycoon Charlie “Atong” Ang went on the offensive and filed criminal complaints against his accuser, whistle-blower Julie Patidongan, alias Totoy.

Accompanied by a battery of lawyers led by Lorna Kapunan, Ang went to the Mandaluyong City prosecutor’s office yesterday morning and filed cases of attempted robbery with intimidation of persons, grave threats, grave coercion, slander and incriminating against innocent persons against Patidongan and another former employee, Alan Bantiles, alias Brown.

Ang said Patidongan was his farm manager for the Pitmasters Group involved in online cockfight or e-sabong. Ang said he even provided legal assistance to Patidongan after he and five security guards of the Manila Arena were implicated in the disappearance of 10 sabungeros.

However, Ang said they had a falling out in 2023 after he learned that Patidongan plotted to have him kidnapped, held for ransom and eventually killed.

After filing his complaint, Ang held a press briefing wherein he accused Patidongan and Bantiles of demanding P300 million in exchange for not implicating him in the murder of the sabungeros.

In the eyes of the public, Patidongan is Totoy, who gave a series of interviews on the fate of the cockfight players aired over GMA News’ 24 Oras. For Ang, he is Dondon, a former associate who worked for him for about 15 years.

“Think it over Don, don’t lie anymore. I treated you like my own son, I did not know you were this bad,” Ang said in Filipino.

Ang said he decided to come out in the open to defend himself and members of his group in the sabong industry whom Patidongan implicated in the killing of the sabungeros.

He said the people identified as suspects by Patidongan – including actress Gretchen Barretto, Eric dela Rosa and Celso Salazar – were upright people and not criminals.

Ang said that Barretto’s only role in their group is to entice more bettors in sabong and nothing else.

“You can see Gretchen sometimes participating in cockfights, that’s just for marketing so many gamblers will place their bets,” he said.

Asked for his message to the families of the sabungeros whom Patidongan said were buried in Taal Lake in Batangas, Ang said that they are barking up the wrong tree as they are not involved in their relatives’ disappearance.

“You will know the truth after investigating, the truth will come out. We are not involved here. I repeat, everyone in our group is decent,” he said.

For Ang, the reason why Patidongan implicated him in the case is money, as his former employee called him and other people from their group and demanded money.

Ang claimed Patidongan wanted money to finance his campaign for mayor of Barobo, Surigao del Sur, and used Bantiles as his conduit to his former boss.

According to Ang, Patidongan later wanted millions of cash to relocate abroad together with his family. There was also an instance where he demanded cash for the birth of a child.

“He thought after talking about all this nonsense he can just leave after getting the money,” Ang said.

For her part, Kapunan questioned Patidongan’s credibility after they

found out he is facing criminal complaints. Among these is murder and multiple frustrated murder in Taytay, Rizal.

He has a case of frustrated murder in Morong, Rizal. A banking institution also filed complaints against Patidongan for robbery with threat and intimidation, physical injuries and grave threat, Kapunan said.

Totoy urges Gretchen to testify vs Ang

Instead of remaining silent, Barretto should come forward and testify against Ang, Patidongan urged yesterday as he accused the gaming tycoon of ordering the murder of at least 108 sabungeros.

“I call on Ma’m Gretchen, I’m your kumpare, Madam Gretchen I ask you have pity on yourself. Testify too so we can prove it,” he said in Filipino over One Balita Pilipinas.

As part of Ang’s inner circle, Patidongan said Barretto has knowledge about the murder of cockfighting players who allegedly cheated in games which Ang organized. He recalled Ang saying to his associates, including Barretto, that killing the sabungeros was necessary to save their business.

“As Mr. Atong Ang said, if we will not do this, our business will fall. So they all agreed to it, including Gretchen Barretto,” Patidongan said.

There is no word yet from Barretto’s camp if she will also file criminal cases against Patidongan.

Apart from Barretto, Patidongan said several police officials, including a colonel, major and captain took part in the killings. He earlier said around 20 Philippine National Police personnel were involved.

He vowed to reveal the names of the police officers after consulting with his lawyers as he noted the threats he has received, including drones flying over a safe house where he is staying.

Patidongan also responded to Ang’s tirades against him. He maintained it was Ang who ordered the killings of the sabungeros by utilizing police officers and civilians who were paid with the businessman’s money.

Patidongan revealed that some of the security escorts who accompanied Ang when he filed criminal complaints against him before the Mandaluyong prosecutor’s office, whom he identified as Rogelio Toto Roger Burican and Rodelo Anig-Ig, were among those involved in the sabungeros’ murders.

“Mr. Atong Ang this is all I can say to you, don’t hide from the truth,” he said.

NBI prepared to help

The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) is on standby if a law enforcement agency requests its help in the missing sabungeros case.

NBI Director Jaime Santiago said pursuing the suspects behind the mysterious disappearance of over 100 sabungeros in 2021 and 2022 falls under the responsibilities of the Philippine National Police (PNP).

Santiago, however, said the NBI is “ready to provide help” if the PNP needs the bureau’s support “by means of forensic capabilities.”

The NBI director explained that his agency can examine the remains of the sabungeros if they are recovered from Taal Lake in Batangas.

Whistle-blower Patidongan has disclosed that the kidnapped sabungeros were all killed through strangulation before being thrown into Taal Lake. He claimed that the victims were tied to sandbags to avoid floating on the surface.

“We can identify the victims even if they’re just bones already,” Santiago said.

The Philippine Coast Guard said 60 of its technical divers are ready to dive at the heart of the lake, but it has a depth of 174 meters and a width of 234 square kilometers. So far, the divers have only reached 100 meters. – EJ Macababbad